Huggies - Love, Protect, Respect and Smile
by K.Haruyuki
Summary: The first thing he feels is something wet in his hands. In his face. Oh, he's crying. He remembers where he is, in his second Grand Pix, in the junior category. Taking a deep breath, he raises his face and is frightened to see a chubby Asian boy crouched in front of him, with tears coming out of his big chocolate eyes, staining his glasses and cheeks.


The first thing he feels is something wet in his hands. In his face. And then he realizes that he is sitting on a cold floor with his knees touching the backs of his hands, and they are on his face. _Oh, he's crying._ In his head, several feelings circulated. Sadness, embarrassment, deception, pain, failure, defeat. Maybe he should quit. Maybe he should look for another career. Perhaps…

But is there another profession for Victor Nikiforov other than figure skating?

He could feel his long hair wetting his russian jacket. He had tried to wash his face so he would not succumb in vain. All because he failed to get the expectations of his coach, Yakov, to win the gold. He finished with silver, by 0.15 points difference from first place. _Only 0.15 points ..._

He remembers where he is in his second Grand Prix in the junior category. In Tokyo, Japan. Maybe it was good not to have been in Russia, because it would have been worse there.

Taking a deep breath, he raises his face and is frightened to see a chubby Asian boy crouched in front of him, with tears coming out of his big chocolate eyes, staining his glasses and cheeks. But he made no sound except for the runny nose.

"Are you okay?" Victor asks, in English.

The boy shakes his head, grabbing hard at the coat he wears at the height of his belly.

"You, ok?" He asks, staring at the Russian, who also shakes his head.

They stare at each other for a while, with tears coming down from their eyes, until the boy stands up, he raises both arms forward, hands open in the direction of Victor, who looks at him in surprise.

"Want, huggie?" He asks, not moving from the position.

Victor smiles so sweetly from that kid who can not speak English right, but who is still there, offering a hug to him. He raises his arms and nods, watching the boy approach and hug him. Together, they both cry.

"Keep fighting. Be strong. Win, "the boy says, whispering to him. "Do not give up. Next pain. Remember the huggie."

Then Victor Nikiforov realizes that the boy was crying for him. That boy realized the feelings that Victor did not want them to discover because he was afraid of criticism. _That cute boy who does not judge him, just hugs him and cries._

 _That cute boy who tells him not to give up._

"... promise?" Boy asks, still hugging him.

"Yes," Victor answers. "Thank you. Thank you very much."

The boy walks away from him, standing and giving a cute laugh.

"Smile. Happy Birthday, "he says, pointing at Victor.

And Victor complies, laughing too. A voice is heard and the boy looks back.

"Bye, bye." he says, waving at Victor.

"Bye!" Victor says, nodding.

He sees the boy pulling away, and out of the bathroom.

 **...**

 _"Name, Yuuri Katsuki. When I skate with you and win a medal, photo. Promisse?"_

 **...**

Victor wakes up in surprise. What a strange dream! He looks around and finds himself in his room in St. Petersburg. But something is missing. Or rather someone. _Yuuri?_

"Oh, you're up." he listens, coming through the half-open door.

In it, he sees Yuuri Katsuki with his arms crossed, staring at him in a bad mood.

"Yuuri?" He asks, swallowing.

 _He's upset._ Of course it is, because Victor teased him the night before because of the childhood photos that Hiroko sent him. From a chubby kid usually accompanied by a pair of ice skates or his little dog, Vicchan. _The same boy he had dreamed ..._

"Hey, Yuuri, listen to this!" He says, ignoring his groom's moodiness and standing up. "I dreamed that I would meet you in a small bathroom and we hugged and I promised that I would become stronger and I would not give up ..."

Victor stops talking when he sees his gaze turn into something different. _Rage? Sadness? Pain?_

"You dreamed? Really? "He asks, biting his lip. "It does not matter anymore. It's better to hurry up because we have to go to training with Yakov."

He walks away, leaving Victor confused. He looks at the date, and sees that it is Christmas, which also means to be his birthday and today he is turning 31. He bathes and dresses, cursing for having to go out in such cold to train with Yuuri ... _Train? But the skating arena is closed in this cold._

"Yuuri, we don't have ..." he says, going into the living room, which is empty. "Yuuri? Makka? "

Silence. Which means that Yuuri left with Makkachin. Weird. _Very weird_.

 **...**

When he arrives in the ring, he sees a small light on at the desk, where he sees a silver semi-open gift box. Inside her, her gold-footed skates and a note telling her to pant them. He wears them and as he approaches the ice, the lights come on and he falls to the ground in surprise to see the whole place decorated, almost all the skaters who competed with him and Yuuri saying at the same time " _Surprise!_ " And a large table Full of food, drink and gifts. Yurio approaches him, frowning.

"Viktor, where's Katsudon?" He asks loudly, causing everyone to shut up.

"Yuuri should come with you," Phichit Chulanont says, looking at the silver-haired Russian.

"He Is not here?" Victor asks, getting up with difficulty. "He left first, with Makkachin."

"Maybe something went wrong with 'that,'" Phichit says, folding his arms. "Come on, it should come at any moment."

And the birthday party unfolds, to the joy of Victor, who at first watches the entrance, waiting for Yuuri, who does not arrive. He did not notice, but Phichit, like every other good friend, was already exchanging messages with Yuuri. He is frightened by what he reads.

"Victor!" He shouts, catching everyone's attention. "Did you really forgot?"

Victor, surprised, tilts his face.

"I forgot what?"

"13 years ago, Grand Prix, Tokyo. 0.15 points of difference. Silver medal. "He starts talking, looking at him angrily. "You were in the bathroom, desperate, when you met a boy."

"I remember this. You were red-eyed, but with a smile on your face and talking about a cute boy who helped you. "Yakov, his former coach, talks and Victor widens his eyes more and more.

"You hugged and he asked you to promise that when you meet again, in the same ice as you and win a medal, you would take a picture together." The Thai continues.

Then Victor realizes. _It's not just a dream. It's a memory. Does…_

"He never left the house. Go. He's waiting. "

And Victor leaves the skating arena, returning home.

 **...**

He arrives and finds her almost the way he left her. Almost. He'd certainly closed the door to his room when he left, but it's half open. As he approaches, he listens, in Japanese, to understand much of it.

 _"... Makka ... What ... should I do ... he did ... forgot ... me ... the promise ... I had failed ... and he had requested ... the photo ... even though I had failed ... When I got silver ... He did not compete ... And then ... I realized ... that it did not work ... I thought he ... did not want to ... keep the promise ... because I failed ... And he today ... said he dreamed ... but not even in the dream ... he remembered the promise ... I…"_

 _I knew it._ He blames himself for failing at that Grand Prix. But this could not be avoided.

He sees Yuuri sitting, hugging Makkachin. Victor opens the door and silently stands beside the bed, facing Yuuri.

"You, well?" He asks, crying and holding his own sweater, in the chest.

Yuuri looks at him in surprise. He shakes his head. Victor extends his arms.

"Want, huggie?" And Yuuri throws himself into his arms before answering, crying loudly. "I'm sorry, Yuuri. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot for having forgotten our first meeting and the true promise. I'm sorry, Yuuri ... "

Yuuri stays there for a long time, in his arms, until, he kisses him. A long, warm kiss, mingled with their tears.

"I'm sorry ... for not getting ... a medal at that time." The Japanese says, in sobs. "And not having ... fulfilled my part ... of the promise ..."

"Yuuri, I have an idea. How about ... "He whispers something in his beloved's ear, receiving a smile and a lively affirmation of it.

They then start playing with cell phones, taking pictures together with their several medals. Putting and taking out several clothes, some very hot. In one they both kiss each other's medal. And then...

"Smile. Happy Birthday, "Yuuri says, kissing his nose and sliding something on the ring finger of his right hand.

A new ring, large, with a phrase in Russian. Victor realizes that in his right hand he also has another alliance, also with something written in Japanese. The Russian stares at his ring, wide-eyed.

"Love, Protect, Respect, Smile with you, forever." Yuuri speaks what is written, laughing.

Victor hugs him again, saying "I love you" several times in Russian, English and Japanese.

 **~ End ~**


End file.
